The (Chinese lunar) year of the dragon started on 24 January this year (2012).
Dragon babies, especially male ones, are considered particularly auspicious (in terms of future prospects in life), because it is believed by some that the dragon rules the heavens. So people will try for one in a dragon year, because the next opportunity of a dragon baby won’t be for another 12 years.
When I was working in Taiwan in 1975–6 for Conoco (now ConocoPhillips), our draughtsman was in a relationship but not particularly desperate to get married. (In those days, one didn’t openly confess to sleeping with one’s romantic other half, although people around often knew but kept quiet about it.) He said that he and his girlfriend would wait to see if she got pregnant (the following year was a dragon year), and only get married formally if she did. Well, she did get pregnant, and they did get married as soon as they found out.
Interesting how some people allow their lives to be ruled by customs and conventions to that extent...
(Event happened 1975)
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